Signal or alarm system



Filed June 14, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 19, 1933. 1 5 JONES SIGNAL OR ALARM SYSTEM Filed June 14, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lv. Il

Illu/alli INVENTOR Patented cpt., lg, l933 application ld, Senlal No. ll5,955

il (Claims,

lilly invention relates to signal systeins and apparatus, and in its broader aspect n not limited in utility. lt is, however, in tlie present illustrative embodiment especially adapted for rire alarm systems and apparatus, and tire description of the invention as adapted or' t purpose, will suciently explain its utility and advantages.

An important object is to provide a signal or l@ alarm system which may be actuated manually or automatically (either or botti). Ils embodied in a `dre alarm system, tor example, there are one or more alarm circuits each provided with a visual and an audible signal (either or lootli) and including a plurality of automatic circuit closets, usually thermostats, vlliicli operate unen tlie surrounding ternmrature rises above a pre= determined normal limit, to operate tire signals. Each alarm circuit also may include a manually 20, operated circuit closer or alarm box and tliis rnay be arranged, as more .tully explained leere,u alter, as a box leaving a glass seal and which will maire the circuit operative when the seal is broken, and may also include means for operate ingr; tlie circuit by the use of a key or otherwise, wit-trout breaking the glass, this being used, example, in manually testing tne circuit.

Another important object is to provide tlie system with automatic supervisnns, or means. Suelo means is devised inlpresent example to automatically operate a trouble siea nal vfliicli may be audible or visual, or botli, whenever the alarm circuit is deranged by reason of an open circuit, iailure ot normal 35 supply current, or otherwise.

A turtber object is to mange tlie inain or circuits as closed circuits, and tide auton matic supervisory circuits as open circuits, tliese circuits being so coordinated that it tlie circuit becomes Iopen for tne reasons alcove mentioned or otherwise, the supervisory or trouble circuit is thereupon closed to call attention to tne derangeinent of the alarm circuit.

Tne characteristics and advantages oi the inn vention are further suciently explained in conn nection with the :following detail description tlie accompanying drawings, Awnicn snow one representative embodiment of the invention.. considering this example, skilled persons 5d will understand that many variations may be inade, and l contemplate tne employment or any structures that are within tine scope of tite appended claim.

in tine drawings:

lig. l is a diagram ot ka system embodying tlie invention in one form.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of suitable annuncia= tor boxes or central station apparatus.

Fig. il is a vertical section oi tl'le saine, Witlfl l arts broken away to save space.

tcl., rrasto Fig. l is a vertical section of one suitable alarin box, or combined alarm and test station.

Fig. 5 is a iront elevation oi the same.

The system is vvell adapted for installation naval or other vessels tvloere it is desirable to nave a plurality of nre alarm circuits running to or through different parts or" the snip, so tliat a alarm may ice given automatically or manually at a central station. But tbe utility of the inivention is not so limited, and it may be applied in any situation Wliere similar pron1 tection is desired, for example, in factories otlfier buildings or industrial plants.

Figs. 2 and 3 snow one suitable forni or rangement oi annunciator boxes to be locates. a central station. @ne oi the boxes, as encloses a plurality of signal drops D which desirably the automatic reset type, one these being provided for eacli alarm circuit. l/lounted near or on tbe box is a bell signal il. o@ in circuit with all tne drops and alarm circu Adjacent eacli dop is a lainp L, convenien" called a "trouble lamp, of tlrese la in a supervisory circuit relating to signal in wllicn adjacent drop is lo-x1 o5 cated. Each pair of signals, that is, eacli drop and adjace lamp L, is provided Witli number iden y tlie corresponding circtt En tide o` "r loos: 1'31 are relays'lt, each corre-d sponding to one of tire alarm circuits and its pertinent supervisory circuit. Also, in tliis bou are cutouts or circuit breaking stvitolies C, one cori-espondlrrg,r to eacli tire alarm circuits e identified by numbers in agueernent Witn tllose on box E identifying ce respective circuits.

L'lflere also provided a buzzer-opentine relay (not sliovvn except in 'tile dias-ram, lig. l) 'union may be located any convenient place. l sli-ons one suitable circuit arrangement i sluding' a plmality of alarrn circuits, eacll cluding two conductors, as X and X1, Y and etc. Each of tliese alarm circuits runs to or rough certain parts o tlie snip or other pro-u tected area and includes a plurality or tlie autoa matic signalling devices vJliicli are usually tirer:n mostats T sliunted across the respective circuit lines as X1. Tnese automatic devices may lce of any suitable type, sucio as electro-pneumatic, iii-metallic or inercurial, and in any case are arranged so that when tine temperature rises above the predetermined normal maximum, tile thermostat operates to snort the circuit across the two circuit conductors, suoli as 'lijf-i1. of the conductors of eaclr circuit, suoli as runs to solenoid of the correspondurg in cater drop D; in series with. this drop is the c responding cutout switch C, and the conductor tlien goes to tli'e common terminal l of tbe si nal bell A; :trom otlier peli terminal a c.u ductor 2 goesto negative line N. Ll

lll@

conductor from conductor X goes to one terminal. of the solenoid 3 of a corresponding one of the relays R and from the other terminals oi all the solenoids a common wire 4 goes to the negative line.

The other alarm circuit conductor, as X1, may go, as shown, directly to positive line P.

The armature 6 of each relay R, as graphically represented, constitutes a contact to co-operate With a fixed contact '7. Contact 6 is in series with a corresponding one of the trouble lamps L, and from the other lamp terminal a conductor goes to a common lead 8 which runs to one terminal of battery 9. From the other battery terminal a conductor 10 goes to the armature ll of the buzzer relay SR which also constitutes, as graphically represented, a contact (zo-operating with a xed contact l2 rom'which a conductor 13 goes to one terminal of the buzzer, and from the other buzzer terminal a conductor le goes to a battery terminal to complete a circuit through the buzzer, battery, armature 1l. and contact 10 when the relay SR is energized. Fixed contact 'l of relay R, above mentioned, is connected to one terminal of the solenoid l5 ot relay SR and the other solenoid terminal goes to the battery 9.

For each signal circuit, therefore, there is a supervisory or trouble circuit including relay R, trouble lamp L, buzzer relay SR, buzzer S, and energizing battery 9, and suitable circuit conductors and arrangements above suniciently explained.

To make the combined alarm and supervisory circuits effective for the present purpose, a resistance K is shunted across the conductors as X, X1 of each alarm circuit. Drie convenient arrangement or location of this resistance, e. g., in an alarm box, will be referred to hereafter in describing one suitable type of box for giving an arbitrarily actuated re alarm or for testing the system.

As so far described, the system operates as follows:

Resistance K is or" such value that at all times a very small current, insucient to operate the drop solenoid D, or the alarm bell A, iiows through each alarm circuit traced irorn positive line P through conductor X1, the resistance hi, conductor X, the drop solenoid D, cutout vswitch C (normally in closed circuit position) alarm bell A, and negative line N.` l, however, upon occurrence of rire adjacent any of the thermostats T, the thermostat acts to short the alarm circuit across the conductors X, X1, normal line current flows through the stated circuit and-energizes the drop solenoid and throws the drop to visual position, and the current also passes through the alarrn bell A, which sounds to perernptoril attract the attention of the attendant to the visual signal, which indicates the approximate location oi the nre or other condition causing the alarm. After taking proper steps to initiate nre fighting operations, the operator may move the cutout switch C to open circuit position to break the alarm circuit, silence the bell [i and cause the drop to move automatically to idle position. Otherwise, the cutout switch be operated for another purpose, presently explained.

Normally, line current flows 'through all o the solenoids 3 of relays R, thus retaining the corresponding armatures 6 in open circuit position,

,that is, the supervisory circuit is broken between contacts d und t. li, however, at

alarm circuit becomes "opened by breakage of a conductor, failure of line current, or for other reasons, the relay solenoid is deenergized, permitting the armature to engage contact 'l and thus the supervisory circuit corresponding to the particular alarm circuit is closed, the corresponding trouble lamp L is lighted, and the buzzer relay SR, common to all the supervisory circuits closes the buzzer circuit, sounding the buzzer and forcibly attracting the attention of the attendant to the visual signal which indicates the defective circuit. He may thereupon operate the appropriate cutout switch C to open the signal circuit while repairs are effected. It Will be noted that the supervisory or trouble circuits are all energized from a source of power distinct and independent from the main supply line. This is important to insure that the trouble signals will be operated if the cause of trouble in the signal circuit is failureof the line supply. A storage or primary battery is usually desirable for energizing the trouble circuits.

It is desirable in many cases to provide a signal box, illustrated in one form in Figs. 4 and 5, located at a convenient point in one or more of the alarm circuits. This box or station AB is indicated diagrammatically in Fig. l. When such a box or station is provided, the resistance K above referred to, is desirably located in the box, as shown in the diagram and in Figs. 4 and 5.

The box also desirably encloses spring contacts 20 and 21 in circuit with the respective alarm conductors X1 and X. Contact 20 is provided with a button 22 resting against the inner face of a glass 23 inserted in the front or door of the box. The box is also desirably provided with a hammer 24 connected by a chain 25 and available for breaking the glass, whereupon button 22 is free to move and the alarm circuit is closed between contacts 20 and 2l to give a manual or arbitrary alarm of fire. This signal box is also available for testing purposes without breaking the glass, by the provision of a keyhole 30 designed for any suitable key, such as 3l, Fig. i, which may be carried, for example, by a watchman or inspector, who may insert the key in the keyhole and by pressure upon the spring oi contact 2l close the alarm circuit between contacts 2l and 20 for the purpose of arbitrarily testing the circuit.

l claim:-

ln alarm annunciator system comprising a plurality of alarm circuits each of which includes means for rendering them independently operative upon the occurrence of a predetermined condition, means for producing an audible alarm when said condition occurs, and an annunciator drop for each alarm circuit for visually indicating the exact location. where the condition occurs, manual means .for independently opening each alarm circuit after the occurrence of the condition, a supervisory circuit including visual means for each alarm circuit for indicating when any of said circuits is open and a second audible alarm operated simultaneously with said visual means, and a central control. board von which are located both audible alarms, the alarm annunciator drops, the supervisory visual indicators and the manual means for opening the alarm circuits, said visual indicators being in indicative relation with the annunciator drops so that the alarm circuit which is open may be identified.

JOSEPH S. JONES. 

